


cotton candy

by PandaHero



Category: Heathers (1988)
Genre: F/F, Modern AU, also chandler's a dick but what else is new, in which roni and duke accidentally go on a date, watch me ship these 2 like the trash i am
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 19:16:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4576542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandaHero/pseuds/PandaHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heather "Massively Afraid of Rollercoasters" Duke is dragged out to an amusement park and forced onto a ride by two of her friends, and is left to panic with only the company of a very pretty stranger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	cotton candy

**Author's Note:**

> based off an au prompt i found on tumblr: ‘We’re sitting next to each other on the ride and I am obviously terrified and oh look you’re holding my hand’ au

There are three things Heather Duke is afraid of: Heights, crowds, and Heather McNamara’s dumb ideas.

Today, all three had managed to mesh into one big terrifying proposition on how to spend a boring day in mid-July. A proposition that, of course, came from the ever cheerful Heather McNamara.

“Hey,” she said, drawing Heather Duke’s attention from her book, and Heather Chandler’s away from her nails. “Why don’t we go to that new amusement park today! What’s it called again?”

Chandler scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Rockin’ Rides?” she offered, holding her hand up to the light to get a better look at her nails.

“That’s the one!” said Heather Mac with an excited nod . “I hear they’ve got some super big rollercoaster, we should try it out!”

Heather was practically bouncing in her seat as her friends exchanged glances. Heather Duke was trying to silently convey how much the idea frightened her, staring at Chandler with wide eyes and mouthing “No way.” Chandler’s eyes lit up, and with a smile only Duke could see the true nature of, turned back to Heather McNamara and said “Sounds good.”

Groaning in defeat, the brunette did nothing to stop her friends as they hauled her up by the arms, grumbling as they dragged her out of the room.

And thus, fifteen minutes later, she stood paralyzed outside the shining silver gates of Rockin’ Rides. Beside her, Heather Mac grinned and shook her arms up and down as if she were trying to fly. Chandler kept giving her this  _look_  that said “This is payback for you hitting your period on my new sheets three weeks ago.” 

“Should we go on the rollercoaster first? Or maybe we should work our way up to that. Maybe we can win some teddy bears! Heather, you’re good at those games, right?” Heather McNamara spoke in a blur, going way too fast for Duke to comprehend. Chandler however, seemed to understand perfectly, and, while adjusting her signature red srunchie, gave Heather Mac a smile.

“I think we should go straight to the rollercoaster, don’t you, Heather?”

Duke cringed at the puppy dog look McNamara shot her, knowing it would be impossible to refuse her.

“S-sure,” she stammered, and Chandler gave her a harsh pat on the back. Once Heather Mac was out of earshot, she leaned close to Chandler and whispered through grit teeth, “I hate you.”

The blonde only laughed, taking Heather by the arm in order to catch up with their excited friend.

In what felt like seconds, the three were standing in line for what was the biggest rollercoaster Duke had ever seen. She was clearly tense, shoulders rigid and breaths shallow. Heather Mac had even asked her if she was alright when they were nearing the front of the line, to which she just smiled and nodded. This was a total lie though, which was only easier to see to through the further they moved up.

Then, the time of reckoning finally came, and they were lead over to the string of blue carts. Each cart could hold only two people, and in what Heather Duke labeled “The Purest of Spite” Chandler took Heather Mac by the arm and sat them down in the only empty cart. This left Duke to awkwardly shuffle over to the last open space on the ride: a seat next to a pretty brunette who looked ready to kill. If Heather hadn’t been afraid before she certainly was now.

Still, she strapped herself in and prayed to God that she wouldn’t die of cardiac arrest or something of the sort. As an attendant came to make sure everyone was all buckled in, Heather could feel herself shaking and she knew the girl next to her was staring, which only made it worse. She hated how afraid she was and she hated how pathetic she was being- and she also hated Heather goddamn Chandler’s stupid smirk when she turned back to look at her. Before she could even think to flip her off, the ride began to lurch forward and Heather began to sink back in her seat.

“You afraid of rollercaosters?”

Heather practically flinched at the voice, and when she looked to her right she was surprised to meet a pair of curious brown eyes with her own shaky blue ones. She tried to speak, but a sudden burst of speed from the ride made her squeak. Instead, she nods, embarrassed. 

It was a little hard to hear the girl over her heart pounding in her head, but she could make out a couple words. “My name’s Veronica, by the way. Did your friends make you get on?”

Nodding again, Heather screwed her eyes shut, knowing they were nearing the drop. She felt like her stomach had dropped off the face of the earth, taking her dignity with it. Curiosity got the best of her though, and she cracked an eye open to take a look at what was ahead. She immediately regretted it.

“I’m gonna die,” she murmured, staring wide eyed at the steep drop as the ride slowed.

Veronica laughed a little and took Heather’s hand in her own. “It’ll be okay,” she said, trying to keep eye contact with the terrified girl. 

Heather had a few cheesy seconds to look at Veronica’s reassuring grin before the ride sped downwards, prompting her to shut her eyes and squeeze the girl’s hand as tightly as she could.

An odd mixture of laughter, rushing wind, and screaming filled her ears and despite her fear and dizziness she could  _still_  pick out which scream was Chandler’s. Serves her right, she thought.

Then, as soon as it had started, it was over- although Veronica had to take her by the shoulders and tell her so. And as if she weren’t embarrassed enough, having held this girl’s hand and fucking squeaked like a prepubescent chipmunk while trying to talk to her, Heather almost  _fell into Veronica’s damn arms_  when she finally stood.

“Sorry,” she squeaked again. Veronica just shook her head and kept the girl steady until she could see straight.

“Don’t worry about it.” Again, Veronica grinned that cute ass grin and Heather felt her face heat up a little. “Hey, how about we go get some cotton candy and calm you down a little?”

Dazed and untrusting of her voice, Heather just nodded.

Momentarily forgetting about how Chandler and Heather Mac were waiting for her, Duke allowed Veronica to lead her through the crowd, still keeping a tight grip on her hand.

 

**Author's Note:**

> i went to ask my brother for a cheesy amusement park name and he looked me dead in the eyes and said "rockin' rides." and here we are.  
> also, apologies for my weirdly varied way of referring to the heathers here, apologies for the weird ways i referred to heather duke in particular


End file.
